Half a Lifespan Shared
"Not the archbishop, I tell you." Her voice carried a chill.
Estelle clasped her hands together and looked at me, her lips twitching slightly.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Estelle, saintess candidate of the Imperial Capital branch of the Holy Church."
That single sentence brought silence crashing down over the forest like a blanket. The first to react was the grizzled mercenary captain.
"Gasp! A saintess candidate?!"
The mercenaries freaked out and flattened themselves to the ground in unison, as if on cue. Their reaction was even hotter than when they'd heard about the archbishop. Urgent whispers flew between them.
"That saintess who appears once every hundred years...?"
"It's been about a hundred years since the previous saintess purified a rule yokai that nearly destroyed the Empire all by herself and became a martyr... The timing fits."
I knew about saintesses too—from what my parents had told me.
A woman chosen by the goddess herself.
They'd said even my Doppelganger Lord parents would hesitate to face a true saintess.
I tried to ride the wave and kneel subtly, but my bloated belly threw off my timing. In the end, I was the only one left sitting there awkwardly.
Estelle approached me.
"Thank you once again for saving my life. If it's not too rude, may I ask your name?"
"Uh..."
I was at a loss for words.
My name?
Come to think of it, my parents had always just called me "son" or "kid." I didn't have a name.
As I hesitated, looking troubled, Estelle continued gently.
"If it's difficult to say, that's fine. Do you have a next destination? If it's alright with you, would you travel with us to the nearby territory?"
I glanced back at Sariya-nee and Lannancy-nee, then scratched the back of my head.
"Thanks for the offer, but I have companions, so it might be tough."
"No, please. I'll speak to the lord myself and ensure you're treated with the utmost hospitality. Come with us."
Estelle smiled with her eyes and gripped my hand tightly. The strength in her grasp was no joke. I felt an overwhelming pressure that made refusal impossible.
Watching this, Sariya-nee hardened her expression.
In the end, we boarded a carriage with them heading to the nearby territory.
***
The air inside the carriage was suffocatingly heavy. Estelle sat across from me, staring openly with a smile plastered on her face, while my two sisters on either side wore expressions full of displeasure.
"Hey, the mood's too quiet—"
Just as Lannancy-nee started to speak, gauging the room,
"Shut your mouth."
Sariya-nee snapped coldly, pinching Lannancy-nee's thigh.
"Ow! That hurts!"
Sariya-nee whispered something into the pouting Lannancy-nee's ear. Lannancy-nee snuck glances at Estelle, then pursed her lips.
"But... what am I supposed to do against that walking fortress of holy power layered a dozen times over... You keep telling me to do the impossible...."
"Useless."
"Aaaack! Stop pinching!!"
Pinched again, Lannancy-nee curled up like she was wronged.
I looked at Sariya-nee. She seemed wary of Estelle.
Humans and yokai were natural enemies—kill or be killed.
Someone like me was probably one of a kind. So her reaction made sense.
Then what am I?
The thought hit me suddenly. If I had to pick a side, who would it be?
It was complicated.
I hoped deep down it wouldn't blow up into a big problem. After all, we'd survived the rule yokai house together.
Half a day passed in that eerie, silent carriage.
We arrived at the nearby city.
It was bigger than my village, bustling with people. But the vibe felt oddly similar—gloomy, with shadows on everyone's faces.
The lord's mansion was quite large. Having heard our story, the lord welcomed us warmly and offered the finest guest rooms for us to rest in.
"Lord, a moment..."
Then Estelle approached the lord, glanced our way, and whispered something in his ear.
"What?!"
The lord's face drained of color, and he nodded frantically in shock.
As a result, the room assignments got all twisted up. I was given the deepest inner chamber of the mansion, while my two sisters were shoved off to the opposite wing like unwanted guests.
Before parting, I caught Sariya-nee smiling meaningfully at Lannancy-nee.
That night, I lay on the luxurious wool bed but couldn't sleep. Food coma drowsiness hit hard, but my mind raced.
I carefully got out of bed. My belly was still bulging, making movement awkward, but better than before.
Worries and regrets piled up.
What if something happened to my sisters?
The world was too harsh and complicated for a fourteen-year-old boy.
Opening the door, a burly servant blocked my path impassively.
"By the lord's order. It's dangerous at night—you can't leave the room."
"Just wanna check on my companions real quick."
"Impossible."
He was less servant, more musclebound brute. The sword at his waist proved he wasn't ordinary.
Perfect lockdown.
What did Mom and Dad say to do in a pinch like this?
I went back to bed and rummaged through my bag.
Found it.
I pulled out a small hand mirror.
A gift from my parents when I was little. If kidnapped, reflect my face in it and shatter—done.
Mom and Dad popping up in the middle of the city might cause a scene...
Sariya-nee had called them Doppelganger Lords, right?
"Lord" after the name meant top-tier yokai—super rare. If they showed up suddenly... well. At least my sisters could get home safe.
Tch... I'd get an earful and be grounded forever.
But with things going south, no choice.
Running away from home could wait for another chance.
Ssshh—
Suddenly, the firmly shut door slid open silently. The same servant stepped in.
"Hm? What is it?"
No answer. Up close, his eyes were unfocused. He stepped aside, clearing the way.
Then two familiar silhouettes slipped in from the darkness.
"Sisters?"
It was Sariya-nee and Lannancy-nee. Seeing their faces filled me with relief.
But Lannancy-nee looked off.
Her clothes were torn in places, eyes black and blue.
Ah.
I realized what Sariya-nee's smile had meant and pretended not to notice. Lannancy-nee grumbled gruffly.
"...Hmph, just tripped, that's all. Yeah..."
"...Ahem, and who's that next to you?"
"Him. The kid the nun hangs with."
In Lannancy-nee's hand dangled Kyle by the scruff—the apprentice priest who'd survived the cookie house. He had the same dazed look as the servant.
"What happened?"
"Pack your shit, kid. That crazy nun's gonna try killing us all come morning."
Sariya-nee spat coldly. As I made a confused face, she prodded Kyle's solar plexus.
"Tell him yourself what that woman's scheming."
Kyle's unfocused eyes stared blankly as he spoke mechanically.
"Sister Estelle said... he's definitely not an archbishop. That's a position appointed directly by the cardinal. Even if his face is unknown, imposters are more likely since appointments are rare..."
Kyle continued.
"He did perform the miracle of reversing the cookie transformation... but it's hard even with ordinary holy power, and given he travels with powerful yokai, Sister Estelle suspects he's a vicious heretic from ManShinJeon..."
"ManShinJeon?"
"A cult where the leader calls himself a saint and worships yokai... So Sister Estelle requested emergency support from Holy Church headquarters... The city is fully sealed. At dawn tomorrow, local branch inquisitors will arrest... resist and execute..."
The moment Kyle's confession ended, Sariya-nee chopped the back of his neck, knocking him out.
"See? I knew it."
Sariya-nee ground her teeth.
"Should've snapped that woman's neck back in the carriage."
"Pfft, you knew all that and let her live? Why not kill her— Ow!! Agh! Stop pulling!!"
Sariya-nee yanked Lannancy-nee's cheek as she snarked from the side, then glanced at me cautiously.
"...Last time, you seemed averse to me killing humans."
She fidgeted with her fingers, checking my reaction.
"...I held back 'cause I thought you'd hate me if I killed her."
Her cheeks flushed slightly, despite the murderous words.
If I were alone, I wouldn't have realized.
A bit extreme, maybe?
But having my sisters made me feel secure. A smile crept onto my face.
Sariya-nee saw it, then whipped her head away to glare at Lannancy-nee.
"If this useless Lannancy had just charmed the nun, none of this would've happened."
"What?!"
Lannancy-nee clutched her cheek and yelled indignantly.
"Don't make me laugh! Thanks to my charm, I put all those guards to sleep and snuck us here quietly! Without me, you'd have smashed half the city getting here!"
I gave Lannancy-nee a thumbs-up. She finally puffed out her chest and snorted.
"So, what now?"
Sariya-nee grinned chillingly and suggested.
"Simple. Strike first. I'll put sleepers to bed, you handle the rest."
"Hm."
I sank into thought. Fleeing now would brand me a wanted heretic in human society. My whole runaway goal—blend in with normal folks, away from yokai—would shatter.
Am I doomed to never live among people?
I wasn't ready to give up. But no clever plan came to mind.
"...Gimme some time to think."
Feeling stifled, I stepped into the hall.
The deep night corridor was silent. Only the sliver of crescent moonlight through the windows lit the way.
Clop clop. Walking, a sweet scent tickled my nose.
Cookie smell?
My stomach growled instantly.
Suddenly starving, despite the full belly.
...Did I turn into a pig?
Following the scent, I reached a large, shut door.
A cross hung on it, floor layered with salt and holy water.
I'd seen this before—around our house.
Who's in there?
I cautiously turned the knob and peeked inside.
"......"
A woman lay on the bed, breathing raggedly.
Looked mid-thirties, but her face was gaunt, cheeks sunken like a mummy. Lannancy-nee had seemed frail, but this was next level.
The cookie smell poured from her body. Then she cracked her eyes open and reached a bony hand toward me.
"Ahh..."
A rusty, dying rasp escaped.
"Don't... wanna die alone......"
Something stabbed my chest. Isolated without family, suffering alone—it looked so lonely.
Maybe it overlapped with my own struggles out in the world.
I couldn't ignore her outstretched hand.
Poor thing.
Didn't feel like a yokai. My 14 years around them told me she was human.
Just stay a bit.
I had to leave anyway. Whoever she was, a little time couldn't hurt.
I entered, sat by the bed, and held her cold hand.
"It's okay. I'll stay with you."
That instant.
The food-coma drowsiness I'd been fighting crashed over me like a waterfall. Vision spun, eyelids weighed a ton.
Wha, why so sleepy all of a sudden—
Right before consciousness faded.
The last thing I saw: my body and hers wrapped in a soft glow.
***
Chirp chirp.
I woke to cheerful birdsong.
Mmm... slept great.
The soft, fluffy sensation against my head felt nice.
Had I used a pillow?
...Ah! Gotta escape!
I blinked rapidly and turned my head.
"......Huh?"
Filling my view first: two enormous peaks. Beyond them, a noble woman's face gazed down.
She stroked my head with a benevolent voice.
"You're awake, my benefactor who so generously shared half your lifespan with me."
"...Pardon?"
Half my lifespan?
What?
As I gaped dumbly, she teared up and continued.
"Forgive the late introduction. I am Amelia Fruitsring, lady of this territory. Cursed by a vile yokai—unable to take half another's lifespan, my body withers to death... You can't imagine the agony."
She seemed convinced I knew the curse's details and had sacrificed half my life willingly to save her.
"Normally you'd die or age horribly... but seeing you young, your body must've restructured. Impressive. As expected of my benefactor."
"Ah?"
I could've died?
I had no idea!
I hurriedly checked my hands.
For suddenly 64 years old, no wrinkles. Same as before sleep. No clue why it didn't show.
Maybe she just got better...?
As I spaced out, confused,
BAM—!
The door nearly splintered as Sariya-nee and Lannancy-nee burst in.
"Kid! Took forever to find you! What're you doi— What the hell! Who's that woman!"
"Little bro! No time for cuddles! The lord and soldiers are heading here...!"
No sooner had their urgent shouts ended than heavy bootsteps thundered from the hall.
Heretic impersonating the archbishop hid in this room! Open it now—!
The lord with drawn sword, Estelle clutching her rosary, and dozens of soldiers stormed in.
"Daring to flee here. You won't die easy..."
The lord's murderous glare shifted to Amelia, who coldly stared back with my head in her lap.
Clatter.
His sword hit the floor. The lord's jaw dropped.
"D-dear...?"